Tractor hitch



C. E. DE WITT TRACTOR HITCH Dec. 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6, 1948 INVENTOR. Charles E. De Wiii ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1950 Filed July 6, 1948 c. E. DE WITT 2,534,109

TRACTOR HITCH 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Charles E.De W /'ifi ATTORNEY customary tractors of this type, without necessitating any Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATEfi 2,53%,ldd

PATENT OFFHCE TRACTOR HITCH Charles E. De Witt, Big Prairie, Ohio Application July 6, 1948, Serial No. 37,199

5 Glaims.

The invention relates to tractor draw bars, and more particularly to a novel hitch especially adapted for use in association with a popular type of tractor, known as the Ferguson tractor, such as disclosed in Ferguson Patents No. 2,118,180 and No. 2,118,181 of May 24, 1938.

With tractors of this general type much difficulty has been experienced in making turns at the ends of fields and the like, when a. farm implement, such as a pole-type disc is attached to the tractor. Another difficulty has been encountered where it is desirable to couple an implement off center so that it will follow at one side of the tractor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily operated tractor hitch which will overcome the above and other difficulties.

Another object is to provide a tractor hitch including a frame which is quickl and easily attachable to and removable from a tractor, without the use of bolts, screws, or other fastening devices, and which is securely held in position upon the tractor when attached thereto.

A further object is to provide such a tractor hitch in which the detachable frame includes a swinging draw bar to which the farm implements are connected.

A still further object is to provide detachable means for holding the draw bar in any desired position relative to the frame.

Another object is to provide a tractor hitch of this character which may be connected to the Ferguson hitch, provided upon change in the construction thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a tractor hitch comprising a detachable frame having hooks for engaging beneath the usual lift arms of the Ferguson hitch, and

hooked bars for engaging in certain of the apertures of the Ferguson hitch bar, and a swinging draw bar movable over the top of said hitch bar and having means engaging the un er side of the hitch bar, whereby all of the advantages i of the Ferguson hitch are obtained.

The above objects, together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and followin description, or which ma be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the imr proved tractor hitch in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the aceornpa-nying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the rear portion of a tractor provided with a Ferguson iii) zoo-c344.)

2 hitch, showing the improved tractor hitch attached thereto for connection to a farm implement;

Fig. 2 a detached, perspective view of the improved tractor hitch to which the invention pertains;

Fig. 3 an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through the improved tractor hitch, showing it mounted upon the Ferguson hitch of a tractor;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rear portion of a tractor showing the improved tractor hitch detachably connected to the Ferguson hitch thereon;

Fig. 5 an enlarged rear edge elevation of the improved tractor hitch; and

Fig. 6 a side elevation of the same.

The invention is shown as applied to a power driven tractor having a Ferguson hitch such as disclosed in the Ferguson patents above referred to. This type of hitch comprises generally the rearwardly extending draw bars i9, pivotally connected to the tractor beneath, and somewhat forwardl of the tractor axle housing ll, Hydraulic lift arms [2 are journalled upon the tractor housing I? and connected by lift rods is with the draw bars I. The hitch bar i5 is connected to the rear ends of the draw bars ill, and provided with a longitudinal series of aperturesdc to receive the pin or draw bolt of the clevis or coupling member of a farm implement.

This mechanism is designed to sustain the thrust resulting from a normal load with the result that the plow or other implement, connected to the hitch bar, is maintained in effective engagement with the earth, but should the load exceed a predetermined maximum, such as when a buried rock is struck by the plow, the hydraulic control mechanism is operated, swinging the hydraulic lift arms upwardly, and through the links M raising the draw bars it and hitch bar 15 so as to elevate the plow to clear the obstruction.

All of the above described mechanism is common in tractors provided with a Ferguson hitch and is illustrated and briefly described merely for the purpose of disclosing the manner in which applicants improved tractor hitch ma be applied to a tractor provided with a Ferguson hitch without making any alteration therein or interfering with the normal operation thereof.

The improved tractor hitch, to which the inven ion pertains, is adapted to be easily and readily connected to, or detached from, the above described Ferguson hitch mechanism, and comprises generally the cross hanger in the form of an angle iron H, having the outwardly disposed depending hooks it near opposite ends for engagement under the draw bars H] of the Ferguson hitch, the depending vertical flange of the angle iron I! being cut away at each end adjacent to said hooks, as indicated at Ha.

Rearwardly disposed, diverging rods 59 are welded, or otherwise rigidly connected, to the under side of the horizontal top flange of the angle iron H, as indicated at 19a, the rear ends thereof being downturned, as indicated at 2B.

A bar 2i is spaced below, and parallel with, the horizontal top flange of the angle iron H, the ends thereof being welded, or otherwise rigidly connected, to the under sides of the rods l9, as indicated at 2 l a.

A draw bar 22 has it forward end located between the horizontal top flange of the angle iron cross hanger ii and the bar 2|, and is provided with an aperture 23 receiving the bolt 24, which is located through suitable apertures 25 and 26 in the angle iron cross hanger l! and bar 2! respectively, to pivctally connect the draw bar 22 thereto, a nut 2'! being located upon the lower end of the bolt to retain the draw bar.

The rear end or the draw bar 22 is provided with an aperture 23 to receive the pin or draw bolt of a clevis or other coupling for farm implements, as indicated in dotted lines at 29 in Fig. 1. An angular bar 38 is welded, or otherwise rigidly connected, to the under side of the draw bar 22,

near the rear end thereof, as indicated at 3%, and the forwardly extending terminal arm 32 thereof is adapted to extend beneath the hitch bar it of the Ferguson hitch mechanism as will be later described.

In attaching the improved tractor hitch to a tractor, the angle iron cross hanger l? is placed with the ends of the top flange thereof beyond the cut outs l'ia, upon the upper sides of the draw bars it of the Ferguson hitch mechanism and the depending, out-turned hooks it are engaged under said draw bars it, and the entire device is slidably moved forwardly upon the draw bars Hi to a point where the depending ends 20 of the rods l9 may be engaged in apertures It of the Ferguson hitch bar 15, the draw bar 22 of the improved tractor hitch thus resting upon the top of the Ferguson hitch bar l5, while the forwardly disposed portion 32 of the angle bar so I is located beneath the same.

If desired, fastening means may be provided upon the downturned, rear ends 29 of the rods 9, to prevent the same from being withdrawn from the apertures in the hitch bar 15. For this purpose apertures 33 may be provided in the lower ends of the depending portions 20 of the rods 59 to receive cotter pins or the like, as indicated at 34- in Fig. 3.

With this construction the improved tractor hitch may be quickly and easily mounted upon the Ferguson hitch mechanism of the tractor and the draw bar 22 may swing freely over the top of the hitch bar is between the diverging rods ES. Thus short turns can be easily made at the ends of fields and the like and the implement will properly track behind the tractor.

If it is desired to hold the pivoted draw bar in any desired position bolts or pins, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 1, may be placed in apertures id of the hitch bar on each side of the draw bar 22 so as to limit the swinging movement of said draw bar.

If it is desired to have the implement operated at one side of the path of the tractor, the pivoted draw bar 22 may be located against one of the rods It, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4,

and a bolt or pin may be placed in the appropriate aperture, indicated at Mia in said figure, so as to hold the draw bar in the broken line position.

It will be seen that the improved tractor hitch may be quickly and easily removed from the tractor, when necessary or desirable, by merely lifting the depending ends of the rods l9 out of engagement with the apertures in the hitch bar and disengaging the hooks [8 from the draw bars I ii of the tractor.

With this construction of tractor hitch it will be obvious that a simple, efficient and durable tractor hitch is provided, which may be quickly and easily attached to a tractor, without the use of bolts or other fastening means, and which may be adjusted to any desired position.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tractor having a pair of rearwardly disposed draw bars and a hitch bar connected to the rear ends of the draw bars and having a longitudinal series of apertures therein, a tractor hitch comprising a transversely extending cross hanger for contact with the upper sides of said draw bars, depending hooks near the ends of said cross hanger for engagement with the under sides of said draw bars, a spaced pair of rearwardly disposed rods connected to the cross hanger and having downturned rear ends for engagement in certain of the apertures in the hitch bar, and a draw bar pivoted to the cross hanger and slidable over the top of the hitch bar and extending in rear of the hitch bar.

2. In combination with a tractor havin a pair of rearwardly disposed draw bars and a hitch bar connected to the rearends of the draw bars and having a longitudinal series of apertures therein, a tractor hitch comprisin a transversely extending cross hanger for contact with the upper sides of said draw bars, depending hooks near the ends of said cross hanger for engagement with the under sides of said draw bars, a spaced pair of rearwardly disposed rods connected to the cross hanger and having downturned rear ends for engagement in certain of the apertures in the hitch bar, fastenin means upon said downturned rear ends, and a draw bar pivoted to the cross hanger and slidable over the top of the hitch bar and extending in rear of the hitch bar.

3. In combination with a tractor having a pair of rearwardly disposed draw bars and a hitch bar connected to the rear ends of the draw bars and having a longitudinal series of apertures therein, a tractor hitch comprising a transversely extending cross hanger for contact with the upper sides of said draw bars, depending hooks near the ends of said cross hanger for engagement with the under sides of said draw bars, a spaced pair of rearwardly disposed rods connected to the cross hanger and having downturned rear ends for engagement in certain of the apertures in the hitch bar, and a draw bar pivoted to the cross hanger and slidable over the top of the hitch bar and extending in rear of the hitch bar, and a depending angle bar connected to th pivoted draw bar and having an arm located beneath said hitch bar.

4. In combination with a tractor having a pair of rearwardly disposed draw bars and a hitch bar connected to the rear ends of the draw bars and having a longitudinal series of apertures therein, a tractor hitch comprising a transversely extending cross hanger for contact with the upper sides of said draw bars, depending hooks near the ends of said cross hanger for engagement with the under sides of said draw bars, a spaced pair or rearwardly disposed rods connected to the cross hanger and having downtumed rear. ends for engagement in certain of the apertures in the hitch bar, fastening means upon said downturned rear ends, a draw bar pivoted to the cross hanger and slidable over the top of the hitch bar and extending in rear of the hitch bar, and 9, depending angle bar connected to the piv oted draw bar and having an arm located be neath said hitch bar.

5. In combination with a tractor having a pair 01' rearwardly-disposed draw bars and a hitch bar connectedto the rear ends of the draw bars and havingia longitudinal series of apertures therein, a tractor hitch comprising a transversely extending cross hanger for contact with the upper sides of said draw bars, depending,

hooks near the ends of said cross hanger for n; flement with the under sides of said draw bars,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,379,225 Fraga June 26, 1945 2,392,903 Currie Jan. 15, 1946 

